*Musical Mention posts are more of a highlight feature rather than a source of no holds barred critical review. If you would like to suggest an album for a Music Moment feature then please comment below.

Another kids worship release out of nowhere.

Heather commented in my last post and alerted me to this fantastic new EP.

TFH Worship is the worship ministry of The Father’s House church, based out of Vacaville, CA but with additional locations in Napa and East Bay. TFH Kids is proud to partner with TFH Worship to release “Strong In Me,” a kids worship album for the whole family. These songs are fun, and powerful and we’ve produced them so that you’ll want more regardless of age!

STRONG IN ME

Tracklisting:

1. Don’t Have To Wait
2. The Way
3. Stronger
4. God Is With Me
5. You’re Everything

5 Tracks. I’ll take it, I want more, but you gotta start somewhere

THOUGHTS

This album continues the trend of albums produced for kids ministries by the worship ministry of the Church. (Planetshakers recent release, eKids etc.) They bring their expertise and strength to the table and pull off great with the kids in mind. It’s great to see a couple of slower songs, Stronger and God is with Me in the mix. It’s a bigger challenge to write worship songs for kids that keep them engaged.

Production values are fantastic, great mixes and excellent arrangements. The music does exactly what it needs to do and doesn’t get in the way of the message!

Get some kids voices on there and I am a happy man. Again, it’s tough to find really strong kid vocalists but worth the effort. And as with all releases, it’s great to see lyric videos we can use in live worship… looking forward to the next one!

FAVOURITE SONGS

Okay, so I’m gonna pick just one because of the brevity of the album

The Way – Great EDM sounding track and lyrics, especially the acapella intro, it’s uncommon and catchy. I really like how each section of the song flows into the next – verse to chorus to bridge – it keeps the song moving. “I know who I am, I know how to dance, And praise Your name” – simple lyrics declaring truth, as long as your definition of dancing includes my kind of awkward gyrating.

People of Earth! Just wanted you to know that the two men in this video are talking about things you have no idea about unless you were at Kidsong 2015! But let’s just say that if you would like to get a taste of the conference then check out the Three T’s.

You should also then check out the latest videos on the Hillsong Kids Channel at YouTube because there are some seriously great memory verse songs as well!

One of my favourite keyboard players ever. Looking forward to this next album, but just check out the mastery he has over the Hammond. I have played a few of them in my lifetime but this is a whole nuther level!

*Musical Mention posts are more of a highlight feature rather than a source of no holds barred critical review. If you would like to suggest an album for a Music Moment feature then please comment below.

Oh Wow, out of nowhere.

Another great Kids Praise and Worship Release.

From my friends at Elevation Church.

eKidz (the family ministry of Elevation Church) has joined with Elevation Worship to release a new album for your entire family. From the title track, “Undefeated”, which proclaims that Jesus is victorious, to the powerful truth found in “I am Yours”, it is our hope that these songs will give voice to your family’s faith.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we need more worship for kids in the world. 2,000 worship albums last year produced and maybe 50 for kids? Let’s do this!

UNDEFEATED

Okay, 7 tracks… Frank Bealer, I expected more overachieving from you, if your wife was involved it would have been 14 pullups, I mean tracks (you had to be there).

THOUGHTS

This is a pro album, mixed with a top notch production team from Elevation. Seven uptempo praise songs means they have accomplished what they set out to do – “give voice to your family’s faith”.

One of the hardest things is to get right is kids ‘choir’, it doesn’t seem like the team has attempted to capture any, but I would have loved to hear some kids voices on this album.

FAVOURITE SONGS

Every track sounds ‘right’, what I mean is that it matches the theme and emotion the song is seeking to convey. A victorious song like ‘For Your Glory’, or a more declarative song like ‘I am Yours’ has just the right ‘weight’ in musical style.

Standing – “Oh Yes we are standing, ‘Cause the enemy’s defeated, We’ll always be standing, on the promises of Jesus.” Great chorus and a song that simply declares truth and the groove of the song drives home the point!

Get To Give – This track’s production is one of my favourites and the theme – I get the privilege of serving God – is a valuable one in this era of looking out for number one.

It was a couple of years ago that I was invited to speak at Elevate Conference in beautiful Vancouver, Canada.

It’s one of those events that I feel like we are all on the same page. I think Canada and Australia are very similar in the needs and challenges that the Church faces so it was such a privilege to speak there!

I am back again, this time with my wife Beci and it’s gonna be great!

So even if you are in the US, or somewhere close, get yourself there and we can hang out.

MEETUP: If you are reading this and coming to the event, comment below with your name and I will buy you a coffee at a meetup sometime during the conference! Do it!

*Musical Mention posts are more of a highlight feature rather than a source of no holds barred critical review. If you would like to suggest an album for a Music Moment feature then please comment below.

It was a normal day just scrollin’ through the twitter feed when I am confronted with this:

Turn It Up

“Turn It Up” is the newest album from KidSpring, the children’s ministry at NewSpring Church. It’s a two-disc set, featuring songs like Wise Up, My Faith is in You, and When I Look. Whether your kids are preschool or elementary age, they will love learning about Jesus as they sing along! “Turn It Up” will be available on iTunes and at any NewSpring campus on March 1!

First of all, 21 tracks… calm down… that’s just showing off.

Tracklisting

1. When I Look
2. Pirate Party
3. Do Not Give Up
4. Wiggle Worm
5. We Are Royalty
6. We’re Not Scared
7. You Are The Treasure
8. 1. Timothy 4:12
9. Jesus Love Me (The Bible Tells Me So Remix)
10. Love Will Never End
11. Detective Shuffle
12. Praise The Lord
13. Wise Up
14. Another Level
15. Set An Example
16. Away We Go
17. My Faith Is In You
18. Royalty
19. Clean Up Rap
20. Eyes On You
21. Love Will Never Fail

THOUGHTS

Having a listen through I recognised a few tunes like ‘We’re Not Scared’ which we used at Hillsong Kids as a memory verse song a few months ago. It looks like this is a perfect example of what I think more Churches should do, put together a bunch of songs that the kids have been singing at Church, there is a fantastic mix of early childhood songs, primary/elementary songs, praise and worship, and even program songs like a clean up rap.

NOTE: At Hillsong Kids we have the tidy up song which you can get right here, and use every week at Church, and I love this Clean up song they use at Kidspring!

FAVOURITE SONGS

It’s a real mix that everyone should check out and grab to use with their Church ministry, or even at home… you know you need a clean up song right?

Clean Up Rap – Get it for Church, get it for home.

Eyes On You – This is a bit of music producer talk, but I love a half time chorus and this song will rock for your preteen kids at Church.

My Faith Is In You – Rock and roll praise done well declaring great things about God!

I have been working behind the scenes for a while to partner with WorshipHouseKids and get some Hillsong Kids Content up there. Over the last couple of years this resource has become a real goto site to grab videos, songs, and inspiration from quickly. They really understand the digital realm and give you video files that just work!

Our first bundle has been uploaded and you may find it very helpful:

Birthday Song – It’s the Happy Happy Birthday song for preschoolers and toddlers. Birthdays are significant for your children. Celebrate with them by singing along with this video and making them feel special!

Countdown – A 3 minute high energy, dynamic countdown that will get your kids ready to start Church! Your kids will love learning the dance moves on screen.

Game Loop – The answer to creating atmosphere while your kids are playing games or having free time. At over 7 minutes it’s long enough to energise your latest and greatest new game.

Ministry Song – The answer to creating atmosphere in your service for praying and ministering to children. Run this beautiful guitar led worship song in the background while you pray or even sit quietly in response to our awesome God.

Tidy Up Song – Are you frustrated at having a messy room while you try to teach the kids at your Church about Jesus? Play this song when it’s time to transition your kids and see the difference music can make.

As I get older (and grumpier), I find my the voices that I am listening to (not the ones in my head)… whether about leadership or the Bible, ministry or culture shrink a little. I am still on the hunt for fresh insight and perspective for sure, but especially last year I noticed the kidmin blogging world stayed pretty steady with the tried and true writers.

So this is not a top ten list but I just wanted to highlight a post that I think was the most helpful, insightful and reflected a blogger who has a lot to offer our little community of ministry leaders!

It feels like Dale Hudson has a team of excellent researchers and writers working on his blog with the amount of engaging content and spot-on culturally relevant posts he writes. I read this post and it really helped confirm a focus that we have at our Church, but also cause me to want to double down on our efforts to see kids leading in every area of our ministry. It’s not a deep theological discussion, it’s not even a new idea, it’s simply one of the most important things we can be doing as ministers.

There is a bunch of really helpful videos from a series featuring a panel of pastors from all over Australia some of my friends that I look up to and hang on every word!

Andy got us recently to talk about areas that are near and dear to our hearts and they are beginning to go up online. From Frank Bealer (Elevation Church) and the Pauls from Planetshakers here in Australia we hopefully give you both inspiration and practical how-to’s!

It’s great to have fans. Fans are passionate and care about what you are doing. VeggieTales has legions of fans all over the world that have been watching the series for over 20 years.

But recently Big Idea, the owners of Bob and Larry have created a new series to be shown on Netflix – and redesigned the characters for the show. It’s a reboot for the franchise and a chance to reach a new generation of kids.

But what no one expected was the extreme level of reaction sparked off online, especially on Facebook. There is even a Don’t Change VeggieTales page!

To their credit Big Idea probably loves the attention in some way. The phrase “there is no such thing as bad publicity” probably applies here. Hundreds of comments for each post, and lots of shares around the Facebook world can’t be bad. Now you and I probably have to deal with potentially letting down millions of fans, but in our ministries the people who speak up both negatively and positively are the people who care, and in our world of distraction and abundance we need people to care.

So I present to you 19 of the most extreme reactions to the VeggieTales redesign:

1. Patti thinks that the Veggies have gone all commercial:

2. The Veggies has alienated their entire fan base! It’s the beginning of the end:

3. The fans are getting brushed off! Oh and the eyes are demon-possessed!

4. More possession from Ben:

5. Now Juniors voice is digesting??? Digesting what… a cheeseburger?

6. And now they’re stoned!

7. Wait, Larry wants you to get plastic surgery?

8. Yep, plastic surgery… oh and Larry is now sexy:

9. Edwin wants the haters to stop! Evil is in the air:

10. Horrible says Hannah and scary… true, have you even tasted a brussels sprout!

11. It takes two to stare Karen… now you are feeling sleepy…. zzzzzzz

12. It’s getting serious, a boycott is happening! By an adult… of a kids program?